The winter school holidays mean it’s time to wear a few more layers to the beach…

But school’s out also means maintenance is in for the Pekatahi Bridge.

The bridge, which is located north of Tāneatua on State Highway 2 (SH2) will close for 6 days, from June 30, for essential deck repairs.

This is part of much needed quarterly maintenance of Pekatahi Bridge for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

The bridge will close daily from 8.30am to 4.30pm from June 30 to July 4 for structural work, including bridge surface plank replacement. It will close again from 8.30am to 4.30pm on July 5 for sealing work. If the weather is wet on Saturday, the contingency day is July 7. Sealing requires dry weather, so if Monday is also unsuitable, sealing may have to be undertaken under stop/start at a later date.

“The bridge is narrow, and due to nature of the work, full daytime closures are required,” says Sandra King, NZTA System Manager for the Bay of Plenty.

“We understand this is an important route and the closure is disruptive, but closing the bridge allows contractors to carry out repairs safely.

“This essential maintenance work has been programmed for the school holidays when traffic volumes are lower, and no school buses will be on the road.

“Contractors will be using the closure to its full potential by repairing and replacing broken and loose decking planks and carrying out other general maintenance such as checking surfacing screws and resurfacing.”

A detour will be in place for all traffic; northbound using Tāneatua Rd, Arawa Rd, Hinemoa St and on to SH30 towards Awakeri and southbound traffic will use the same route in reverse. This detour is expected to add up to 20 minutes to journey times and is suitable for all vehicles, including High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV).

The Pekatahi Bridge, which is located north of Tāneatua on State Highway 2 (SH2) will close for 6 days for essential deck repairs from Monday 30 June. Photo / NZTA

NZTA thanks Whakatāne District Council for allowing the detour route on their local roads and road users for their co-operation.